§ MR. H. O. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Belfast, W.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, under Boer law, any person entering the Transvaal with British silver money in his possession is liable to be searched and fined or imprisoned; whether a similar prohibition exists and is enforcible by similar penalties in any civilised country; and whether, if the facts are as stated, Her Majesty's Government will call the attention of the Boer Government to the unfriendly nature of the enactment referred to, with a view to securing its prompt repeal?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES(Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON, Tower Hamlets, Poplar)Under a law of 1891 of the South African Republic, any person bringing into the Transvaal for purposes of circulation any foreign coin is liable to be searched and fined or imprisoned. A somewhat similar prohibition exists in what I think I may call a civilised country, namely, the United Kingdom. It dates from 1886, and is directed against the importation of all foreign coins other than gold and silver coins. In 1870, a Proclamation containing a somewhat similar prohibition was issued by the Governor of Gibraltar, directed against the importation of foreign copper coins. In Cyprus, in 1879, the importation of all silver (including British) coins was prohibited; and in the Straits Settlements, in 1891, power was given to the Governor to prohibit the importation of such foreign coins, not being legal tender, as might 159 be specified. This list is probably not exhaustive. The coinage of the South African Republic is not recognised a legal tender in the British Colonies in South Africa. I give these facts in reply to the questions asked; but without expressing any opinion in regard to the action the South African Republic have taken in this matter.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERasked whether there were any precedents for the exclusion of coin of a friendly country; whether the British precedents referred to were not precedents of laws passed to exclude counterfeit coin or coin intended for the purpose of committing crime.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI must ask for notice of that question.